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Marriage Registration
Marriage Registration is the process of having your marriage legally recognized by the city or town in which you live. To be legally married in Urasoe (or any other municipality in Japan), you must register the marriage with your embassy or consulate and with city hall. The registration service is free of charge, but there is a fee for a copy of your Marriage Certificate. Marriage Registration at city hall is required even for Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) personnel. For other common registration processes handled by the Citizens' Affairs Section, see divorce registration, birth registration, death registration, inkan registration, and alien registration. Application Process To register your marriage, please visit the Citizens' Affairs Section of City Hall. You will need to bring the following documents with you: * Affidavit of Eligibility of Marriage (for a non-Japanese spouse) or a copy of your family register (for a Japanese spouse). Affidavits are to prove that you can be legally married in your home country, that is, to prove you are not currently married. For those from America and other certain countries, an affidavit can usually be obtained through your consulate or embassy. For other countries however, an official document from your hometown or home city may be required. * Japanese translation of affidavit with the translator's signature or stamp. Affidavits may be translated by anyone proficient in Japanese. * Passport OR Birth Certificate * Alien Registration Card (if you have one) * Marriage Registration Form completed in Japanese and signed by two witnesses. (Forms are available at City Hall) After assembling the necessary documents and registering your marriage, you may purchase a Marriage Certificate (kon'in juri shōmeisho 婚姻受理証明書). The price is ¥350 for a Standard Certificate (printed on a standard size paper) and ¥1,400 for a Decorative Certificate (much larger and traditional-looking). The Decorative Certificate includes the names of the witnesses to the marriage registration, whereas the Standard Certificate does not. The Marriage Certificate serves as your proof of marriage. Be sure to write down the name, address and phone number of city hall, as you'll need to contact them directly in the future if you need to obtain further proof of your marriage, which may be a hasssle. Because of this, if both parties are non-Japanese, you know in advance you will be getting married before coming to Japan, or if you will be leaving Japan shortly and can wait until you get back home, registering your marriage in your home country may be a better idea. Exceptions * The male partner must be 18 years of age or older and the female partner must be 16 years of age or older. * In addition, for Americans, you must be able to legally marry in your home state. For example if the legal age of marriage at home is 18, you cannot marry earlier than that in Japan. * A woman cannot get married within six months of the dissolution of her previous marriage. According to Japanese law, this is to avoid confusion as to the identification of a child's father if a birth occurs close in time to the end of the marriage. * Most people related by blood, by adoption, or through other marriages cannot get married in Japan. * A person who is under 20 years of age cannot get married in Japan without a parent's approval. External Links * US Embassy in Japan - Marriage in Japan